About James and Downing Park

James and Downing Park is located in the Riverside section of west Jacksonville, bounded by Selma, James, and Downing Streets. The land for the park was shown as a triangular parcel on the 1909 plat of New Riverside, which before the Civil War was part of a 1000-acre plantation operated by Elias G. Jaudon, one of the founders of the Baptist Church in Jacksonville. In 1922, the developer donated the parcel to the City for use as a public park, which was given the name of the adjacent streets, likely named after Columbus Downing, the president of the New Riverside Company, and a Captain James. Riverside-Avondale Preservation, Inc. (RAP) championed the local designation of the area as the Riverside Avondale Historic District in 1998. The attractive neighborhood park consists of an open space encircled by oak trees, with two benches for relaxation.
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